You are looking at a Taylor 712ce Grand Concert Cedar Top Acoustic-Electric Guitar Natural, serial number 1102034103. This is the actual guitar you will receive should you decide to purchase.

If you're fond of the breathtaking 700 series appointments and prefer a warm acoustic sound, look no further... this Taylor 712ce Grand Concert Acoustic-Electric is the guitar for you. The back and sides of this 712ce are crafted from tonally versatile Indian rosewood, and rather than using Sitka spruce for the guitar top (which will produce a sound that's a bit brighter), this 712ce Grand Concert features a solid cedar soundboard, which is most widely recognized for its warm overtones. These perfectly matched tonewoods paired with the Grand Concert shape offers enhanced player comfort and a beautiful acoustic voice that will fingerstylists will fall in love with. The Taylor 712ce offers a more traditional aesthetic, adorned with a natural finish and simplistically elegant appointments including a tortoise pickguard, a three ring ivoroid rosette, and grained ivoroid binding on both the top and back.

The fingerstyle-friendly, shorter scale (24-7/8") neck is carved from tropical mahogany and capped with a grained ivoroid-bound 20 fret ebony fingerboard that boasts 700 series grained ivoroid 'Heritage Diamonds' inlays. The fingerboard is topped off with a Tusq nut, and at the other end of the guitar sits an ebony bridge with a Micarta saddle. Just as the fingerboard, the headstock is also bound by grained ivoroid, and features an Indian rosewood overlay, an ivoroid Taylor logo and a set of Taylor nickel tuners. To faithfully capture the natural acoustic sound of this fine guitar, the 712ce comes equipped with the Taylor Expression System 2 (ES2).

The Taylor Expression System 2The Taylor Expression System 2 (ES2) is a revolutionary pickup design that delivers the latest in Taylor’s ongoing innovation in acoustic guitar amplification. The heart of the Expression System 2 is Taylor’s proprietary behind-the-saddle pickup, which features three uniquely positioned and individually calibrated piezo-electric sensors. The location of the sensors enables a more dynamic range of acoustic sound to be captured than ever before. Together with Taylor’s custom-designed pro audio-grade preamp, the ES2 produces exceptional amplified tone and responsiveness. On stage through a PA, plugged into your favorite acoustic amplifier, or direct into recording software, the ES2 faithfully conveys the voice of a Taylor guitar.

Behind the ES2 Design: Rethinking the Piezo PickupFor decades, piezo-electric transducers have been positioned under the saddle of a guitar based on the long-held belief that the string and top vibration cause the saddle to “bounce” up and down. But Taylor’s electronics team, led by developer David Hosler, discovered that the vertical movement is actually heavily restricted, and that the saddle gets “locked down” due to the string tension’s downward pressure. That’s why a traditional under-saddle pickup with piezo-electric crystals often responds with a sound characterized as thin, brittle, brash or synthetic, especially with more aggressive playing.

The saddle’s natural range of movement as the guitar is being played is actually back and forth like a pendulum. That revelation led Taylor’s design team to relocate the crystals from under the saddle to behind it. The new positioning enables the crystals to respond more naturally to the guitar’s energy as it is transferred through the saddle. Three piezo sensors are installed behind the saddle, through the bridge, with three tiny Allen screws that calibrate the pressure of the sensors against the saddle.

Like the original Taylor Expression System, the ES2 features the same volume and tone control knobs. The preamp is similar but with a slightly different gain structure. As a result it will be about 25 percent hotter, which is more in line with other pickups. This makes it plug-and-play friendly both for artists and live sound mixers.

This Taylor 712ce Grand Concert Acoustic-Electric Guitar comes complete with the full protection of a hardshell case.